To Probe A Beating Heart by John B Wren Read Free Book Online Page B

out to the truck. Averell was curious and began to wonder who might move in. The answer came a week later on one of the few pleasant October days that year. Another truck, this one blue with red lettering, “Wellington Movers” across the side, parked in the same place as the other had and the movers carried furniture and boxes back into the house. Averell sat on the front porch and watched the activity. As he watched a car pulled into the driveway, the new neighbors had arrived. Averell notice the two girls, younger than him and a boy, who looked older, maybe a year or two older than himself. The girls were giddy and ran into the house to see their new home. The boy walked slowly toward the house until he saw Averell. He waved, Averell returned the wave.
                  “Hi, my name’s Jimmy, we’re movin’ in today.” Jimmy was a few inches taller than Averell, had short dark hair, quick blue eyes and a smile that made you feel at ease immediately. He did not hesitate to approach Averell as if he had made friends this way many times before. His voice was confident but not overwhelming and engaged in conversation at his new companion’s level.
                  “I’m Averell, I live here.”
                  “What kinda’ name is Averell, never heard it b’fore?”
                  “It’s a name, just a name.”
                  “Oh yeah, well all names mean something. My name means somebody who takes things.”
                  “Oh yeah, that’s not very nice.”
                  “Yeah, I know, I guess I’m not a nice guy. We should look up your name, see what it says.”
                  “Yeah, maybe I take things too.”
                  The two boys looked at each other and laughed.
                  Jimmy spoke first, “You’re funny. Wanna’ see my new house?”
                  “Sure.”
                  Averell had never been in that house, he had watched the people who lived there sometimes, and wondered what it was like inside. They walked in the front door dodging the movers as they crossed the threshold. The floors were without carpet, polished to a high shine and the walls were all freshly painted an off white. The overhead molding and baseboards were all a natural varnished dark wood, probably walnut and the house was similar to Averell’s in size and room configuration. Jimmy led him to an empty room on the second floor that he said was going to be his.
                  “I get my own room cause I’m the only boy, my sisters hav’ta share a room. What about you, you got yer own room?”
                  “Yeah, I have a little sister and she has her own room too.”
                  “That’s cool.”
                  They sat in Jimmy’s empty room and talked about moving and trucks. Jimmy was a nice guy, kind of big for his age, which happened to be the same as Averell’s. Jimmy liked baseball and his dad had encouraged him to try all sports. So he planned to check out the basketball team when he started school. Time passed quickly and Averell lost track. He heard his mother calling him and he assumed it must be about dinner time, and she wanted him to set the table.
                  “That’s my mom, I gotta’ go.”
                  “Okay, see ya in the morning for school. You can show me around.”
                  “Yeah, okay, sure, bye.”
                  “Yeah, bye.”
                  Averell ran home. “I’m home.”
                  “Where have you been?” asked Ellie as she opened an envelope. It was the first of her new alimony checks from Steve. The amount looked right, she had gone after more than Allen had been paying, and she got it.
                  “We got new neighbors, and there’s